Stairway guard



D. E. M AVOY STAIRWAY GUARD Dec. 16, 1930.

Filed Jan; 24, 1930 2 sneets-si e't 1 llllly i-i I gww'ntoz; E/m au D 95, 1930- D. E. M AvoY 1,785,487

STAIRWAY GUARD Filed Jan. 24, 1950 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 {DANIEL nnwe'nnMbAvoirQoE oNG ISLANDYQITY, nnw ronx Patented Dec. 16, 1930 I TENTi-iFFT EFC YsI JA'IRWAYGUARD-w 7 A piicatioifiledJanuary 24,1930; "sriaiiqo. 423,144. ii

' i'lhis inve tibn iiiatsoagli ir f r ways, and more particularly to agate designed to prevent persons from falling down Stairways. In sometypes of-residences and apartment ihous es,;,lan dings are proyided athe p. o h s irway, a d-itfrequ ntln eppens that persons walking on thelanding, dueto darkness,- defective eyesight, or feebleness, are unawareof orinisjudge the top step o the a rs- "fieri l injury Often l P$ fromfalls caused-in this manner.-

The present invention contemplates a gate r.-g a whi; Whi e a pt t w ewu g ahout'a vertical axis, theusual manner, 1s moun e t i m n s w x e ls the angleof the -stairway,and is normally looked tO preVent swingingthereof, sq long as a downwardly directed for ceislexerted on the 1gate. It is further intended to provide means for regulating the. rateof descent of he gate," so that it for ins support 015 ,personholdingthereto f stood from a deseription'of one form thereof taken inconnection appended j R ferring' to p the"; stairs" 1 1 m y e of'the wei t i To Wall :12 and having a banister" rail or 1 may" extendtransverselypfia we'll t'ofajhut two walls 12, l-2", shown in Fig; j 3:'1 l In either case there is fastened to'the"wa 1l]12 a 5m 016 rails 14,

l ll by ni'eans of supporting.hi aeketsf155 the latter being firmlysecured to the wall The supportingrails are sof nount'ed that theyareparallel to: "the angle the stairs "wlthg re speet to the horizontal;fEaehfof'the rails is substantially ohanneif-shaped in cross secti'onand; pro ided with inwardly turnedfflanges peetiye (Viewofftheiguard,

with respect to its support, hol'di The-gate or-guard 18isjIn0uI1led-tof the rails, the gate being supported in a tubu- 'lar castingorbracket 19 having arms 121, preferably; made integral therewith on the,ends ofwhioh are shoes 22 adaptedtofit with v a in the channelnoftherails. If 'desiredantij friction bearings maybe interposed betweentheshoes andrails toperlnit the-shoestonide more readily on the rails.It is to benoted thatthe arms 21ers disposedatan; angleto h b l me r 1.0 1 t a w en; the shoes are in slidingyengagementx with the rails themembenlQ will lee-in asubstantially yertica1position I r r V Slidablymounted on the tubularnembei' -19-is a post or standard 23 towhich-areise; oured, by m'eansofpins or keys Q gothertubuT lar members,2 5, 26', one se oure d to the upper end of the gate and-theotheifltothe lower end. 1 The upper is beveled at its lower endpas at27, m ooactwitha similarly h ev'eled end t1": the member 19,50 that theweight of the gate; normally ,tends' to 1mm 7 the gate wepositionwheitein it. liridgesitlie ,stalr passage; The ends z2 7, 28,@arefnrther provided with a key 29 andslfot 30,respeetiiie;

ly, to look the gate in bridging orolistructing the-gate"to'obstructingposition, afcombind fastened to the ineinbers 19 and 263frespee lv l'yhs p ng t n w Sw ng t e? ate in its locked, orobstr'ucting pos way, camplates" 32,133, are fastened to wall 12and areso positioned that theyengage the p ioj ng 81 d 9f the post 28, when" the gate passes the topand bottomlstepsfto position. As a. furtheri means for swinging ne ate re 0 1 fi dP, acent the top and bottomfs'te'ps of the stairs 'iswoundkThe spring5the refore'tends tofre- Waite-sat teile-P s' tiele.edieitltlieefiso t suf cientlt fermitjth gaste perjlanding at all times.Suitable tension or resistance means are associated with the drum toprevent too rapid winding or unwinding of the cable so that the gatewill ascend or descend at a relatively slow and steady speed.

One-form'of speed regulating meansis A shown inFigL5 in which there isprovided on the drum shaft a gear 38 meshing. with a worm 39. The wormshaft carries a pair of brake shoes 41 adapted tobe thrown by?centrifugal force into engagementTWith a brake drum 42 secured to thecasing 41 or to is wound or'unwound too rapidly the shoes will bethrownout into braking position, and arrest the ascentor descent'o'fthegate."

- As a'n'aid to those desiring to'usethe'gate as-a support whiledescending the stairs, that is',-'children or -feeble"persons,the gateis provided with" transverse bars 43, arrange'd at appropriate 'heightson the gate; These may be grasped by theuser who will be supported ;Inoperation;-the guard-normally obstructs the stairwayybutis capable ofriding'down the railsat arelatively'slow rate ofspeed. 'l huae ersonhaving walked or-fallen accidentally over the top step, will grasp theguard, and since the weight of the person ex ei'tsa-"downward pressureon the 'ate, it will remain its'locked or. obstructing j position butwill move along the rails slowly enough to enable the personto regain'hisor her bal ancei It'is-als'o apparent that the guard willbefusefulto thosedesiring a support while descending the V stairs, and,"under :some circumstances, may beuti'lized as a fire escape. Whenit isdesired to swingthe gate in either directiomit is necessary to elevateit against the pressure ofspring 31,-which may be done by liftingjthegate by hand, or by moving the 1 end 'of' the post. againstthefcamplates 32 or33 i*The gate maybe swung in either direction so thatit opens at the top landing as well as at the bOttOmstep-Of the'stairs.Whenthegate is swung open the spring 31, b'eingffastened to the gate aswell as to the supporting bracket, is subjected to atorsionalstress'andtends to return the gate to its bridging orlocked position. V

fAlthough a spring controlled drumhas been employed inthejforniof theinvention illustrated," it is obvious that equivalent me ansf,'"sucli asa weight, maybe utilized for the purpose of'returning the'gate to theupper landingof the stairs after thegate has been loweredli Otherdetailsofthe invention may also be modified without afiecting the opera"tion of the apparatus. V i

What;is'claimfedfis":5

.. ""-1 I 'A"guardifor stairs, comprising a gate,

guide means disposed inzparallel relation to saidfstaira aind meansengaging, said guide means for supporting said gate, said supportguidemeans disposed. in parallel relation to sald stairs, means engaging sa dgulde means for supporting said gate, said supporting meansbeingslidable longitudinally of-the stairs along the guide means, and ahinged connection between said supporting means and said. gate. 7

3. Aguard for sta1rs,compr1sing a gate,

, guide'means disposed in parallel relation to said stairs, meansengaging said guide 1 means ior'supporting: said gate, said supportingmeans being slidable along the guide means, and means-normally tendingto move 'saidsupporting-means to the uppermost portion of said stairs. aV

4: Afguard for stairs, comprising a gate, a rail disposed in parallelrelation to said stairs, means engaging said rail for supporting saidgate, said meansbeing slidable alongthe rail, a hingedconnection-between said supporting means" and said gate,.and lockingmeans normally holding said gate in obstructing position transversely ofthe stairs.

5. A guard for stairs,'-comprisinga gate, a rail disposed in'parallel'relation to. said stairs, means engaging said rail for supporting, saidgate, said means being slidable along the rail, a hinged connectionbetween saidsupporting means and said gate, means normally.lockin'g'said" gate transversely of saidfstairs, and meansadjacent thetopand bottom of said stairs'for automatically re- ;nection between saidmeans-and said gate,

means for lockingthe gate to bridge'said stairs, and means at eachend'of the stairs for releasing said locking means tov permit swingingmovement of said gate'in either direction." v r 7'. A guard'for' stairs,comprising a gate, a rail disposed in parallel relation to, said stairs,bracket. slidablyjmounted-for movement along said rail avertical'tubularmember on said bracket, said gate-being hingedly and-slidablymou'nted'in said member, means on said "ate and member for holding saidgate in l said stairs, and means at each end ofthe stairs for releasingsaid holding means to permit swinging movement of said gate.

ridging position with respect to 8; Aguard for stairs, comprising agate, means for slidablyv mountingsaid gate to permit the gateto bemoved paralleltoiand longitudinally of the stairs, and: meansiforautomatically regulating the speed at which the gate slides downwardlywith respect to said stairs. g

9. A guard for stairs, comprising a gate,

' means for slidably mounting said gatevto permit the gate to be movedparallel to and longitudinally of the stairs, means normally acting onsaid gate to move the gate to the uppermost position of the stairs, andmeans for automatically regulating the speed-atwhich the gate may bemoved downwardly with respect to said stairs.

10. A guard for stairs, comprising a gate,

means for slidably mounting saidgate to permit the gate to be movedparallel to and longitudinally of the stairs, and a plurality oftransverse supporting bars on said gate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

DANIEL EDWARD MGAVOY.

